My
first view of the barn at Freedom Ranch-they really know how to do winter in
Central New York!
Freedom Ranch is a diversified livestock
operation. Scott and Sharon custom raise
a variety of animals in a pasture-based setting for private sale. When I visited there were meat and dairy
goats, chickens, ducks, steers and a horse living there! In the spring and summer there will also be
pigs on pasture.
They put me right
to work, unloading the week’s grain.
Since the ground is
still snow-covered, the goats, chickens and even the steers get supplemented
with grain and locally grown hay. Once
the grass starts to grow they won’t need grain or hay.
Every morning Sharon milks her 3 dairy
goats. They are wonderful producers of
rich milk, each producing between 1-2 gallons per day! Sharon will use this milk in her home to
drink and makes award-winning cheeses and yogurt.
The kids (that’s
what baby goats are called) drink their mothers milk during the day, and then
the moms get the night off-duty and share their milk with Sharon on the
morning. I claimed to be an expert
milker, but didn’t realize just how much milk Haley, her 7 year old Saanen doe,
made! I managed to milk 9.2 lbs. from
her though.
Throughout my week at Freedom Ranch I was amazed
at how cold hardy the animals are. Scott
taught me that if you can see snow on an animal’s back, that indicates their
coat of fur is trapping their body heat in and keeping them toasty warm. Who would think that these patient steers are
really quite cozy?
Even the
does (female goats) and Levi prefer to eat their breakfast outside on a bright,
crisp morning. The meat herd consists of
does that are boer/kiko crosses and are quite hardy. However, Levi (the horse) must think he lives somewhere
tropical and did not grow a winter coat, so he requires a blanket to stay warm!
The chickens have a cozy coop area inside the barn where they spend
the winter. Chickens do not like the
snow, as their feet get cold in it!
I enjoyed checking in on the hens each day and
collecting the wonderful eggs they lay.
Did you know eggs come in a variety of
colors? I found pink, light brown, dark
brown and even blue eggs!
There were a few freshenings (or kiddings, as goat
births are called) while I was visiting.
Ramona had triplets, which is not unusual. Scott, Sharon and I worked together to help
the does dry the kids off and dipped their umbilical cords in iodine to prevent
infection.
There is a corner of the birthing stall with a
heat lamp to allow the newborns to stay cozy for a few days after being
born. I quickly realized why the kids
love cuddling up in there! The lamp emits
a red light so the kids can get some sleep without having a bright white light
keeping them awake.
Sharon
also loves sharing her knowledge with students at the local school, Hamilton
Central. She spent a few hours one
afternoon teaching the ag students about the basic principles of
cheesemaking. The students got to make
three different ricotta cheeses and taste the results too!
Happy
trails…until we meet again after my next adventure!!
